Rithik Rahman at 17:49, 9 December 2025

2025-12-09T17:49:46Z

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{{Short description|Genus of birds}}
{{Hatnote|"Hill myna" redirects here. In [[aviculture]], this often refers to the [[common hill myna]] (''G. religiosa'') specifically.}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2021}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image =Gracula.svg
| image_caption = Diversity and distribution within the genus
| taxon = Gracula
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| type_species = ''[[Gracula religiosa]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
| diversity_link = #Species
| diversity = See text
| synonyms = * ''Eulabes''
}}

'''''Gracula''''' is a genus of [[myna]]s, tropical members of the [[starling]] family of [[bird]]s found in southern Asia and introduced to [[Florida]] in the United States.

==Taxonomy==
The [[genus]] ''Gracula'' was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|tenth edition]] of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | volume=1 | edition=10th | page=108 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=Latin | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727013 }}</ref> The genus name is from [[Latin]] ''graculus'', an unknown bird sometimes identified as the [[western jackdaw]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=176 }}</ref> Of the seven species listed by Linnaeus, [[George Robert Gray|George Gray]] designated the [[common hill myna]] (''Gracula religiosa'') as the [[type species]].<ref>{{ cite book | last=Gray | first=George Robert | author-link=George Robert Gray | year=1840 | title=A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus | location=London | publisher=R. and J.E. Taylor | page=39 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13668933 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Greenway | editor2-first=James C. Jr | year=1962 | title=Check-list of birds of the world | volume=15 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=118 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14485491 }}</ref>

Until recently only two species were recognised, ''G. religiosa'' and ''G. ptilogenys''. Previously, all ''Gracula'' were considered to belong to a very variable species commonly called the '''hill myna'''. Three additional [[subspecies]] of ''G. religiosa'' are increasingly being considered as distinct [[species]]. Formerly, the Sri Lanka hill myna was considered to be a [[subspecies]] of the common hill myna, but today all major authorities recognise them as separate. Comparably, the Enggano, Nias, Tenggara, and southern hill mynas have traditionally been treated as subspecies of the common hill myna; a treatment still preferred by some authorities.

===Species===
Four extant [[species]] are recognized:<ref name=avilist>{{ cite web | author=AviList Core Team | date=2025 | title=AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025 | doi=10.2173/avilist.v2025 | doi-access=free | url=http://www.avilist.org/checklist/v2025/ | access-date=9 December 2025 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !! Distribution
|-
|[[File:GraculaPtilogenysLegge.jpg|120px]] || ''Gracula ptilogenys'' || [[Sri Lanka hill myna]] ||Sri Lanka.
|-
|[[File:Gracula religiosa robusta-01.JPG|120px]] || ''Gracula religiosa'' || [[Common hill myna]] || Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh, the lower Himalayas
|-
|[[File:Starling bird (India, 2012).jpg|120px]] || ''Gracula indica'' || [[Southern hill myna]] ||southwest India and Sri Lanka
|-
| || ''Gracula venerata'' || [[Tenggara hill myna]] ||Indonesia
|-
|}
A 2020 study found that the subspecies ''G. religiosa miotera'' or [[Simeulue hill myna]], which is endemic to [[Simeulue]], Indonesia and has not been recognized in recent taxonomic arrangements aside from [[Handbook of the Birds of the World|HBW]] (''Handbook of the Birds of the World''), also likely represents a distinct species and was likely driven to [[Extinct in the wild|extinction in the wild]] in the late 2010s due to unsustainable collecting for the [[wildlife trade]]. The paper recommends rescuing the last genetically pure captive individuals for the purpose of [[captive breeding]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ng|first1=Dominic Y. J.|last2=Švejcarová|first2=Tereza|last3=Sadanandan|first3=Keren R.|last4=Ferasyi|first4=Teuku Reza|last5=Lee|first5=Jessica G. H.|last6=Prawiradilaga|first6=Dewi M.|last7=Ouhel|first7=Tomáš|last8=Ng|first8=Elize Y. X.|last9=Rheindt|first9=Frank E.|date=2021|title=Genomic and morphological data help uncover extinction-in-progress of an unsustainably traded hill myna radiation|journal=Ibis|language=en|volume=163|issue=1|pages=38–51|doi=10.1111/ibi.12839|issn=1474-919X|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Former species===
Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus ''Gracula'':
* [[Magpie-lark]] (as ''Gracula picata'')

==Description==
[[File:Gracula heads.jpg|thumb|Variations in the wattles and head patterns]]
These {{Convert|25–30|cm|inch|abbr=on}} long birds have glossy black [[Feather|plumage]] and large white wing patches which are obvious in flight. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow or orange, and there are yellow wattles on the head, the shape and position of which vary with species. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have a duller bill.

===Vocalisations===
Hill mynas are renowned for their ability to mimic the human voice. It has been claimed that the hill mynah is the best [[talking bird]] and the best mimic in the world.<ref>{{cite web |last=Butterfield |first=Kathy |url=http://www.aacc.ca/mynahs.html |title=Owning a Mynah |publisher=The AACC Homepage |access-date=2015-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712015240/http://www.aacc.ca/mynahs.html |archive-date=2015-07-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
This genus has representatives in tropical southern Asia from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, and the common hill myna, a popular cage bird, has been introduced to the United States.

==Behaviour and ecology==
===Breeding===
The hill mynas are resident breeders typically found in forest and cultivation. The nest is built in a hole and the usual clutch is two or three eggs.

===Food and feeding===
Like most starlings, the hill mynas are fairly [[Omnivore|omnivorous]], eating fruit, nectar and insects.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite book |title=Birds of India |last1=Grimmett |first1=Richard |last2=Inskipp |first2=Carol |last3=Inskipp |first3=Tim |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1999 |isbn=0-691-04910-6}}
*{{cite book |last1=Feare |first1=Chris |last2=Craig |first2=Adrian |year=1999 |title=Starlings and Mynas |publisher = Princeton University Press |isbn = 0-7136-3961-X}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20181220230423/http://elitparrots.ru/mauna.html Russian page with identification drawings of hill myna taxa]

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{{Taxonbar|from=Q259424}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gracula| ]]
[[Category:Bird genera]]

Gracula - Revision history

Rithik Rahman at 17:49, 9 December 2025